I impulsively bought a birdfeeder last Christmas at Target while pushing my sleigh up and down the aisles. I figured, what the hell, how about a feeder, too?

John hung it on the tree in our back yard with a piece of leftover twine. Then we dug out our field guide, Birds of Illinois by Stan Tekiela, and put it on the table near the window. We were ready.

At first, only sparrows, a few cardinals, and two white pigeons showed up. But, eventually, and as long as we kept the feeder full, new species arrived. House finches. Black-capped chickadees. And, yesterday, a male red-winged blackbird (pictured above).

I hear that true birders keep lists of all the species they’ve seen during their lives and plan vacations around adding to their lists. I think I’m beginning to understand why — it’s like playing a grown up version of I Spy.

Anyone else birding these days?

Birds of the Windy City
Chicago Wilderness Bird Monitoring Workshops
Chicago Audubon Society
Chicago Orinthological Society